


Callback

by xiseoks



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 08:57:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13678449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xiseoks/pseuds/xiseoks
Summary: Getting a theatre major to pretend to be your boyfriend for the holidays seemed like a good idea, until it becomes hard to tell how much of the act is actually fake.





	Callback

**Author's Note:**

  * For [crownjules](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crownjules/gifts).



> hEYo this was written for a tiny fic exchange with my friends, for miss crownjules queen of fluff ily i hope you’re not tired of me being your assigned writer loool aNYway i hope you like it !!!! it is kind of holiday-themed but aLAS what can you do

 

“How exactly did you get yourself into this mess?”

Jongin has been asking himself that for the past week and a half. Yes, how did he?

“By being a terrible person who avoids confrontation at all costs,” is his only conclusion thus far, and it’s not a favorable one.

“Well, I knew that,” Chanyeol says, and Jongin shrugs in resignment. “I’m just wondering how you got yourself into this position. I mean, getting a fake boyfriend? Sounds wild.”

Jongin kicks at the snow in his path woefully, pouting at how wet it’s going to make his shoes. “I know, but it’s not like I have a better option. But who’s going to be willing to do that for me, anyway? I might as well come clean to my mom now before she brands me as the world’s worst son and disowns me.” A wrinkle forms in between Jongin’s brows. “But then she’ll set me up with the _neighbor’s son._ ”

“And why is that so bad?”

Jongin slumps. “His favorite Friends character is Ross. _Ross_.”

“Ah,” Chanyeol nods in understanding, then pulls a face after. “I would offer to be your fake boyfriend, but I mean, your family’s met me and they know I’m straight.”

“We could make up a story about how you realized your true love for me and realized you’re actually gay.”

“I feel like that’s problematic.”

“Yeah,” Jongin frowns. He’s out of ideas.

Months ago, when he had broken up with his ex-boyfriend Oh Sehun, his mother had immediately flocked to him via FaceTime and told him she’ll send over a care package to his dorm with chocolates and binge-worthy movies. Her idea of binge-worthy movies were _The Proposal, 13 Going On 30, and Ghost_. Jongin had Unchained Melody stuck in his head for several weeks after that.

Then she followed it all by saying she would set him up with the neighbor’s kid, to which Jongin immediately grimaced. He came up with an excuse - fast, and without thinking. _I’m actually seeing someone already, mom._

Jongin remembers the light in her eyes when he told her, the smile on her face. She was the biggest romantic Jongin knew, so when she clutched at her heart and begged Jongin to tell her all about him, he knew he would have to stick with it lest he wants a broken-hearted mother and an asshole of a date for Christmas.

“Have you asked anyone to do it for you?” Chanyeol says.

“It’s not exactly an everyday favor to ask of someone. I might just tell my mom that he...couldn’t make it?”

“Hm,” Chanyeol hums. “Could work. But at the risk of potentially disappointing your mother.”

“You’re right,” Jongin groans. “Chanyeol. Why am I like this?”

Chanyeol chuckles, and lands a sympathetic hand on Jongin’s shoulder. “By being a terrible person who avoids confrontation at all costs.”

 

 

Packing was always the worst part of heading home for the holidays. Jongin had always wanted it over with quick, but today, he is determined to prolong it as much as possible, if just to avoid going home and explaining to his mother what happened to his so-called boyfriend. When he gets back to his dorm, he expects his roommate to already have gone home for the holidays, but when Jongin hears a loud and showy voice booming from inside the room, he realizes that isn’t the case. The guy must be practicing his lines again.

He opens to the door to Baekhyun standing on top of his own bed with a beret on his head and a sheet of paper in his hand, his other arm waving in the air dramatically as he recites.

“A peasant has entered the shop, madam, what do we do?” Baekhyun says, pointing to Jongin. “Shall I serve him or kick him to the streets?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be at home?” Jongin asks with an arched brow.

“Kick him to the streets, it is!” Baekhyun yells, before leaping off of his bed in one clean jump and landing with his arms in the air as if expecting a score.

“Six, at most,” Jongin shrugs, and Baekhyun grimaces at him.

“That was a solid eight, excuse you. And I’m not going home, by the way. I’m staying on campus for the holidays. My dad and his girlfriend are going to Hawaii. Without me, can you believe it?”

“I can, yes,” Jongin says with a slight upward lilt of his lips. “I actually wish I had an excuse to stay too.”

Baekhyun perks a brow. “Don’t wanna go home?”

“I did a dumb thing and I don’t want to deal with the consequences.”

Baekhyun doesn’t ask about it, merely laughs at Jongin and shakes his head, pulling the beret off and throwing his script aside. And it’s only then when Jongin realizes the solution is quite literally standing before him.

The spark of panic in Jongin’s chest that has been flaring ever since Jongin realized he needs to bring home a guy for the holidays suddenly dims when he reminds himself Baekhyun is openly bisexual, and has no plans for the holiday break. Plus, the guy’s a theatre major. His acting skills can come into play nicely. Jongin’s seen him in the school auditorium perfecting accents and brandishing swords. This would just be another act for him. Another performance.

“You!” Jongin screams in a moment of realization.

Baekhyun jumps in alarm. “Uh. Me.”

“You can, uh -- wait, hold on, how do I phrase this. Okay. Um. I have a favor to ask.”

“Shoot,” Baekhyun says, still looking mildly confused, but intrigued.

“You’re going to think I’m insane, but honestly, please just listen and consider it before you say no.”

“Okay?”

Physically standing here, in front of Baekhyun, prepared to ask a favor beyond anyone’s belief, Jongin suddenly feels a little apprehensive. Is he prepared to bring this guy into his own home and hold hands with him in front of his mother and pretend like they’re in love? The most physical contact they’ve ever had was when Jongin had accidentally brushed shoulders with him at the cinema.

Well, if this is what it will take to avoid being set up, so be it.

“How would you feel about pretending to be my boyfriend?”

For a moment, Baekhyun is unresponsive, merely blinking at him in disbelief.

“Uh, what?”

“I told my mom I’m seeing someone so she wouldn’t set me up with this guy she knows, because he’s an ass, and uh -- it’s a long story with a lot of lies and shame on my part and I really need this.”

Baekhyun arches a brow, perching on the edge of his bed and giving Jongin the most judgmental glare.

“I know,” Jongin says, speaking what Baekhyun is likely thinking. “I’m an idiot.”

"Jongin," Baekhyun says, and Jongin thinks he might detect a trace of exasperation there, which is ironic considering Baekhyun is, well, Baekhyun.

He continues. "I know I often refer to you as the hopelessly awkward lead of a bad romantic comedy, what with your dramatic endeavors with past ex-boyfriends, but this is like, a whole new level of bad rom-com. Like, 20%-on-rotten-tomatoes-Sandra-Bullock-movie level of bad."

"Actually, in The Proposal, Sandra Bullock gets a fake husband so she won't be deported. My motive, however --"

"--is to avoid being set up with a guy."

Jongin swallows nervously. "Essentially. Yes.”

“I’ve heard the best way to avoid that is to come clean, actually.”

“I can’t now. She’s beyond excited to meet my boyfriend. It’s deeper than that too, though! I’m not a shallow monster. I just don’t want to date right now, but my mom is… she’s a romantic? She is like really into love.””

Baekhyun’s mouth opens, looking as if he is about to say something more, but then he purses his lips and turns it into a sardonic smile, chuckling instead. “Well, you really dug yourself one, didn’t you, Kim?”

Jongin frowns. He did.

There's a silent moment between them where Baekhyun seems to be considering it, and where Jongin just stares hopelessly at him, eyes pleading.

"God, you're an actual puppy," Baekhyun says, standing from his bed and throwing his hands up. "Alright, fine. I'll do it. But just know, if we're going to do this for real, I'm going to have fun with it."

Jongin doesn't like the sound of that, and the trace of mischief that it's laced with. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Baekhyun says, pulling the beret back onto his head, "just try your best not to fall in love with me, Kim Jongin."

The smirk on Baekhyun's face is indulgent and haughty, and has Jongin rolling his eyes. "Believe it or not, I think I'll be okay."

Baekhyun raises both brows, as if dubious, but turns away with a smirk. “We’ll see. I am, after all, irresistable.”

 

 

Two days later, Baekhyun is throwing his luggage into the trunk of Jongin’s car. He seems uncharacteristically calm about the whole ordeal, not taking the opportunity to crack jokes at Jongin about the mess he’s got himself into. He doesn’t even try to ask for the aux cord, with which he never has a problem taking for himself when they go to see movies together out of convenience. In fact, he is almost...tame. For once.

“You okay?” Jongin asks, sparing him a cautious glance as they drive past farms and grasslands. “You’re quieter than usual.”

“I’m getting into character,” Baekhyun says. “The character of Jongin’s Boyfriend would no doubt be as dull and nerdy as him. I’m practicing.”

“You’re not wrong,” Jongin says, resigned. “But be yourself. I think my parents are more like you than me, anyway. They’re the real talkative kind. They’ll find you charming. The son they always wanted.”

Baekhyun shoots him a look, brows furrowed together, but doesn’t say anything about it. Instead he breathes out, and says, “Okay. I’ll be taking the aux cord then.”

After they stop for gas half and hour later, and come back with about five bags of junk food, Jongin gathers to courage to properly express his thanks for what Baekhyun will be doing for him.

"Thanks again," Jongin says, clearing his throat, "for doing this for me. I know it's weird."

"Nah, it's fine, man," Baekhyun dismisses. "I didn't have plans for the holidays anyway."

"Friends?"

"No friends," Baekhyun says without hesitation.

"Liar," Jongin deadpans. "What about Kyungsoo?"

Baekhyun lets out a bark of a laugh that lacks the humor Jongin is so used to from him. "What Kyungsoo and I have is not... I mean, it's mostly just me bothering him and him tolerating me. He thinks I don't see it. I do. He's too nice to tell me to leave him alone."

"I'm sure that's not true," Jongin says, a pull of sympathy tugging at his chest. If he recalls, Kyungsoo was a fairly quiet person in general and was rather stoic with everyone. He's sure Baekhyun isn't exclusive to that kind of behavior from him. Besides, he's positive he's seen a smile on the guy whenever he's around the dorm with Baekhyun. But Baekhyun merely shrugs, apparently convinced that Kyungsoo's seem to got some massive grudge against him.

"I'm annoying," he says. "It's my dominant trait. It's fine, honestly, I don't get offended when people tell me to fuck off because I know I can be a bit much."

"Well, what about all those people you party with?"

"Do you ever see their faces more than once? They come and go, Jongin. We might hang out at parties or study in the library together, but that's as far as our 'friendship' gets. I know so many people, and I say hi to them when I see them around on campus, but I'm not friends with them if you get what I mean. They just don't stick around."

Jongin does get what he means. It's those people who'll hand you a drink at parties and clap a hand on your back as they support your underage drinking, but won't manage a single glance at you when you're outside of the four walls of some fraternity house. It's those people who will claim interest in your life when there's music blasting in your ears and the taste of alcohol on your tongue, but won't bother to ask how you are when thrown back into the real world. It's fine, though, Jongin doesn't blame them. Parties are, after all, a way to escape school life and is really the only time people will make for each other.

“I mean, I do have friends,” Baekhyun says, “if we take the most basic meaning of friends and apply it here. I like people way too much to not have friends. There’s just no...sense of closeness, if you get what I mean. Not much of a connection.”

“I get it,” Jongin says, somewhat sadly now that Baekhyun has this sudden morose tone to his voice. It’s unlike him. So he decides to turn it around with a joke, one of Baekhyun’s favorite things. “Maybe it’s the spontaneous improvisation that throws them off. Or, you know, the beret.”

Baekhyun, affronted, puts his hand to his chest. “Excuse you. The beret is my good luck charm, and I am a damn good improvisor!”

"Whatever you say," Jongin says, faint smile on his face. He looks over to see a grin on Baekhyun as well, and decides then, that Baekhyun would not be a bad friend to have.

 

 

 

Jongin’s mother was quick to take on the role of grandmother the moment his niece was born, so it comes to no one’s surprise that the first thing she does when they arrive is try to feed them.

“We had McDonald’s just ten minutes ago, mom,” Jongin says.

“That is so unhealthy,” she drawls. “You boys are so thin, my goodness, if you were living with me, you’d be--”

“Stuffed,” Baekhyun says, even as he chews on the bread roll Jongin’s mother offered to him from the moment he stepped through the door.

She smiles approvingly. “Just how you’re supposed to be.”

“Hey, Mrs. Kim, by chance, you aren’t the witch in Hansel and Gretel, are you?”

Jongin’s mother bursts out laughing at this, eyes crinkling. “Oh! Cute and funny. I love him already.”

Baekhyun merely shrugs. “Nah, of course, you aren’t. You’re too young and pretty to be that old witch.”

“Oh, gosh, you flatter me, Baekhyun,” Jongin’s mother says with a hand on her chest. “Please, clean up you two! Your father will want to meet Baekhyun for dinner soon!”

Jongin glances at Baekhyun approvingly, subtly throwing him a thumbs up, to which Baekhyun returns with a wink.

Dinner is not as awkward as Jongin had anticipated. In fact, Baekhyun makes easy conversation with his parents - making jokes at the appropriate times, complimenting the food, telling the story of how he and Jongin “met.”

“He walked through the door of our dorm, and I was like - oh my gosh, please tell me this isn’t the guy I’m going to be rooming with. He’s way too handsome, I might actually die.”

Baekhyun really is a good actor. He’s charming, naturally, and Jongin’s parents have always been the social, talkative sort. The kind of people to greet their neighbors with a plate of cookies or invite them over for a barbecue, so it makes sense that Baekhyun - loud, chatty, enthusiastic Baekhyun - would get along with them well. Jongin can barely keep up with the conversation, but he isn’t all that great of an actor nor a liar anyway, so he leaves the act to Baekhyun.

Lying. That’s right. That’s what they’re doing. Lying to his sweet mother who’s never done a bad thing in her life. Jongin swallows down the guilt with his green beans, and plasters on a smile as Baekhyun tells a fake story about the time Jongin asked him out for the first time.

 

 

“Now, since your sister is arriving tomorrow, Jongin, you two are going to share a room. Is that alright with you, Baekhyun?”

“Uh.” He looks to Jongin helplessly.

“That’s fine,” Jongin says, even if a part of him is screaming on the inside. It should be fine. Sharing a bed with Baekhyun. It’s fine. He does not dare to see the expression on Baekhyun’s face because surely he isn’t too enthused either. It’s just sharing a bed. What can go wrong?

Jongin’s mother goes on, leading them up the stairs. “I’m sorry we can’t be more accommodating to you, Baekhyun, but--”

“No, it’s fine, Mrs. Kim. Really.” Jongin’s lived with Baekhyun long enough to tell the changes in his voice, the way it picks up when he’s excited, or the way it drawls when he’s sleepy. Or the way it strains when he’s nervous. Like now.

This is how they end up staring face-up at the ceiling in darkness, at 11 pm, nothing but the moon beaming through the window to illuminate their stiff and awkward positions. They’re at least a foot and a half apart.

Jongin’s nearly at the edge of the bed; if he moved to his left just slightly, he would fall off and hit the cold floor. They’ve slept in the same room before but this is an entirely different matter.

“Your parents are really nice,” Baekhyun says all of a sudden, breaking that silence. It’s still awkward in the room though, the atmosphere heavy with rigidity. Jongin feels like if he moves, everything will crumble.

“Yeah,” he responds blandly. “They seemed to like you a lot.”

“I hope so,” Baekhyun says, but then backtracks. “I - I mean, not that I care if they don’t like me or something, because we aren’t dating for real, I just - I just want this act to be believable, is all.”

Jongin bites his lip. “You’re too much of a good actor for them to not believe in it. Honestly, for a minute there I felt like you were actually into me.”

A short silence. Jongin wonders if he’s said something wrong.

“Ah,” Baekhyun says, quieter. “I hope it fooled them then, haha.”

Did Jongin really say something wrong? He doesn’t ask. Maybe Baekhyun is just tired.

They’re quiet again, after that. Jongin can’t seem to sleep, his mind running a mile a minute and fingers fidgeting with the comforter draped across the two of them. He wants to maybe thank Baekhyun again for doing this for him, because it is - after all - a huge favor, but he thinks back to what Baekhyun said earlier that day. It had been a bit of a surprise to Jongin too, to learn that Baekhyun thought he had no friends. Jongin was sure he was a well-liked guy around campus. In fact, he was even a little...envious, before, of how many people he knew and were friends with.

"Can I say something?" he asks.

"Is it a confession," Baekhyun deadpans. Jongin huffs.

"No. Well, actually, yes, but not the kind you're thinking of."

Baekhyun's chuckle is light and airy. "Just tell me. You’re my boyfriend, you can tell me anything."

Ignoring that, Jongin goes on. "This entire semester, since we met, I've kind of just seen you as this shallow guy who was only here to party."

There's a moment of silence, and Jongin panics. It's just a few seconds really, but it's enough to have him think he's done something wrong again. An eternal embarrassment. He should stop talking.

"Why is that?" Baekhyun says. Jongin can practically hear the pout in his voice.

"Well,” he starts. “The night before the first day of classes, you went to a party, for one. And you always go to parties, or you're always in hangover mode. You're like the typical college stereotype, which I didn't even think existed in real life."

"Ah," Baekhyun says. "So if you're the badly written rom-com, then I'm the shallow college movie with lots of loud parties and red solo cups."

Jongin laughs. "Yeah, sure, if you want to put it like that."

"Parties are fun," Baekhyun says with no remorse and no shame. He just doesn't care and Jongin must admit there is something refreshing about that. He feels Baekhyun shift in the bed besides him. "Hang on. You're saying all this because you have a different opinion of me now, right? Right?"

"Oh god," Jongin groans, turning on his side away from Baekhyun. "Forget I said anything."

"First day and you're already falling for me, Kim Jongin."

"Go to sleep."

"This will never work between us, Jongin, we're just too different--"

"Go to sleep, Byun!"

 

 

By the time Jongin finally opens his eyes in the morning, Baekhyun seems to have showered, dressed, and debated with Jongin’s father over whether a fish submerged in water is wet. When Jongin enters the kitchen, hair sticking up and fist rubbing his sleepy eyes, Baekhyun is demonstrating something with a glass of water and a penny.

“The penny is therefore wet, because it is in the water, which is wet.”

“Completely irrelevant. Water isn’t wet, actually--”

“Good morning,” Jongin interrupts his father’s impassioned opinion.

“Jongin, I’m afraid I cannot give you and your new boyfriend my blessing.”

“We’re not getting married.”

“Same difference. I will never approve of your relationship with this man for as long as he has such ridiculous opinions.”

“Okay,” Jongin mumbles blandly, taking the stool besides Baekhyun.

“It’s surrounded by water!”

“Is breakfast ready?” Jongin asks.

“Nearly,” his father says.

At the precise moment Baekhyun opens his mouth to respond, there’s a resounding ring throughout the home. The doorbell.

“Ah!” Jongin’s dad says. “That’ll be your sister, Jongin. Can you get the door?”

And Jongin freezes, because he forgot to anticipate introducing Jungah, his sister, to Baekhyun. Not to mention her husband and two children. And this was just the tip of the iceberg of all the relatives coming over on Christmas day.

Nonetheless, he gestures for Baekhyun to walk with him as he makes his way to the front door and opens it to a woman standing on the porch with her husband and two children in tow. “Jonginnie!” she exclaims, and moves to hug him before she seems to remember she has a baby in her arms and steps back again.

“Ah, it’s so good to see you!”

“You too, Jungah,” Jongin says, taking their luggage in one hand and the hand of little Rahee in his other. He greets his sister’s husband, who had always been a bit quiet, and ruffles Rahee’s hair before leading her inside the house. “Jungah, this is Baekhyun,” Jongin says. “My boyfriend.”

She glances up, eyes flitting over Baekhyun as a smile grows wide on her face. “Oh my gosh, who knew my brother could snag such a handsome guy?” A smug grin is immediately plastered on Baekhyun’s face, his gaze switching to Jongin with a perk of his brow. Jongin merely rolls his eyes and shuts the door. It was going to be a long few weeks.

 

 

Jungah is a lot like Jongin in the sense that she is a little more introverted than their parents, but nonetheless, she can make good conversation when she needs to. She and Baekhyun get along just fine, and the dinner that night at the Kims is filled with laughter. Jongin cringes as his sister tells Baekhyun about the time Jongin ran out of the bathroom naked when he found a spider in the tub. Jongin prepares for Baekhyun’s trademark loud, boisterous laughter and teasing, but Baekhyun’s laugh this time is more like a chuckle, and it isn’t mean or condescending in any way.

“I hate bugs too,” he says, wrinkling his nose, “so I totally get it.”

In short, everyone seems to take to Jongin’s boyfriend. After that dinner, Jungah even pulls Jongin aside as they wash the dishes to tell him that she thinks Baekhyun is wonderful, and that they make such a good pair.

Do they? Jongin can only thank her meekly. It’s nice to know, at the very least, that if he were to ever bring home a real boyfriend, they would treat him well. Jongin wasn’t anticipating on them liking Baekhyun this much. It only churns uncomfortable feelings in his gut.

And when Jongin wakes up the next morning to Rahee on Baekhyun’s shoulders, the latter “flying” around the living room and making airplane noises, there’s an entirely new feeling. But it’s different. It isn’t uncomfortable. It’s warm, and it makes him smile.

“You’re a late riser,” Baekhyun says, nudging him when Rahee has finally let him free so she can go eat breakfast.

“I like to sleep,” Jongin shrugs unapologetically. “Rahee likes you, huh?”

“She loves me. I daresay she likes me more than you.”

“How dare you,” Jongin gapes. “I was there for all those embarrassing dress-up games, not you.”

“Think again,” Baekhyun says, pulling out his phone and scrolling through before showing Jongin a photo of himself in very messy make-up with his hair pulled up into two little pigtails. A crown rests on Baekhyun’s head, and Rahee has her arms around his neck from behind, looking proud of her work.

“She did my makeover yesterday night, when you fell asleep after dinner. I asked for a princess style, and man, she delivered.”

“You guys are that close already?”

“She’s a kid, Jongin, she’s gonna get attached to anyone that’s nice to her.”

“True,” Jongin says, then looks closer at the photo. “I’m just gonna send this to myself real quick for possible future blackmail material--”

“I have no shame, Kim,” Baekhyun says, shrugging. “And I look good, so.”

“Well, I’m glad everyone seems to like you then,” Jongin says. “A little too much. Imagine if you played out that character you were initially going for. Dull and Nerdy Boyfriend.”

“I would have totally nailed it. It was my chance to do something new but no, you wanted me to be myself.”

“And it’s working, no?”

“I don’t know,” Baekhyun drawls. “I’m not sure they all could believe you have a boyfriend as rad and handsome as myself.”

Jongin throws his arm around Baekhyun’s neck and pulls him into him playfully, earning a groan and a very dramatic call to Rahee for help.

 

 

On the mornings where Jongin does manage to get up around the same time as Baekhyun, they are caught in the same schedule. It isn’t strange to either of them, having lived together in the same dorm for an entire semester, but there is something entirely different about getting out of the same bed, to brushing their teeth together at the two sinks in the bathroom side by side, to heading downstairs for breakfast with Jongin’s parents. It’s a little too...domestic, and has Jongin feeling some way. Especially because it feels so natural. There is a certain liveliness to the house that Baekhyun has seem to brought with him. When they play charades with Jongin’s parents and Jungah, Baekhyun seems to mesh so well with them, their chemistry and teamwork enough to earn them a win. Baekhyun fits in so well in this house and with their family, Jongin doesn’t even question it anymore.

What he does question is the way his heart does a little dance when Baekhyun steps out of the shower one morning, in a plain white t-shirt and jeans, his hair wet and dripping over his face. His face is bare and clean, and he looks so...natural, and awfully...boyfriend. Jongin thinks it’s dumb, to declare the difference between Baekhyun looking normal and Baekhyun looking like boyfriend material to be a simple white t-shirt, but he isn’t sure why it makes him feel a little tight in the chest. Maybe because it’s tight on Baekhyun’s chest.

 _Dumb_ , he thinks.

They offer to cook dinner that night, so it’s just the two of them in the kitchen. Jongin is even more confused when he realizes that no, those hip bumps are not accidental and Baekhyun is actually literally hip-bumping him every now and then. Maybe to keep up the flirty act in front of his family. Who knows. All he knows is that he is getting a little too fuzzy around Baekhyun.

It definitely doesn’t help that Baekhyun has apparently seem to really taken on this role of boyfriend, holding Jongin’s hand when his parents are around, or smiling at him like he’s the entire world. Baekhyun has a really nice smile. Cute, in a way. He smiles big when he’s laughing, but Jongin thinks his best smile is the one that is a little more subtle, a little more soft. It looks more...genuine, more...loving. He has always had a nice smile. That has always been clear, but when it’s directed at Jongin, it’s a whole other story.

 

 

Jongin’s taken aback by how slow time seems to be going. Without homework to do or deadlines to meet, everything feels...void, like he is floating with no aim. It’s freeing, but it’s also boring. The days before Christmas blur into one long time period, because the days are either drawn out by Jongin and Baekhyun deciding to stay up late into the night to play video games, or they are cut short by Jongin deciding he wants to go to bed at 3pm. Night and day is not a concept to him anymore.

Three days before Christmas has Jongin sitting on a stool in the bathroom, with Baekhyun hovering over behind him, gloves on his hands. The former had convinced Baekhyun into helping him dye his hair back to a natural brown before his grandmother came for Christmas and saw how utterly blond he is. He would be lectured all night long.

“My fate is in your hands,” Jongin says, fists clenched on his knees.

“Shut up, you’re making me more nervous,” Baekhyun says, before squeezing the dye onto his gloved hands. He takes a deep breath, and finally begins to massage it into Jongin’s hair.

“Please work,” Jongin says. “Get every strand.”

“Or I can give you Backstreet Boy style highlights.”

“I think you mean Nsync.”

Baekhyun pulls a face. “I _always_ mean Backstreet Boys.”

The process takes about an hour, and when Baekhyun is confident he’s got it all, they wait the required half an hour. In the meantime, Baekhyun takes pictures of Jongin and with his hair all dyed up, brown dye marking his neck and collarbones as well, and posts them on SnapChat before Jongin heads to the shower.

Jongin had dyed his hair back from even before he met Baekhyun, so to see it back to brown now is a bit jarring. He stares at himself in the foggy mirror, and figures Baekhyun did a decent job, thankfully. This is sure to keep his grandmother’s sharp eye away.

Baekhyun seems to think so too, if the look on his face when Jongin returns to the room is anything to go by. He blinks, a little disoriented, staring at Jongin with his mouth slightly agape.

“Does it look good?” Jongin asks.

He stares a little more. Jongin perks a brow. He feels his nape prickling with the way Baekhyun is looking at him.

“Yeah, uh, yeah. It looks good,” Baekhyun finally manages to say, then clears his throat. “‘Sorry. I’ve just never seen you with dark hair.”

“And you’re stunned by my devastatingly handsome good looks, I know,” Jongin jokes.

Baekhyun rolls his eyes, throwing Jongin’s own, dirty balled-up t-shirt at his chest and turning away, but not before Jongin spots the slight twitch in his smile.

 

 

 

By Christmas day, the house is filled with dozens of Jongin’s relatives, and it certainly isn’t boring anymore with the multicolored lights trailed across the ceiling, the smell of turkey and ham wafting throughout the house, and the children running and ducking under the legs of adults drinking wine.

The last time Jongin left Baekhyun, he was playing with the children, chasing them around and mimicking a deep, daunting voice as if he were a villain going to capture them. Now, after his mother is finally satisfied with the cleanliness of the basil, he makes his way back into the main room only to see Baekhyun strapped to a chair, duct tape bound around him. He makes eye contact with Jongin and gives a sheepish smile.

"Having fun?" Jongin asks when he approaches. The children hover around a large map on the ground in front of Baekhyun, as if discussing battle techniques.

"So much fun," Baekhyun says. "I have children pointing plastic swords at me while I’m tied to a chair.”  
Jongin chuckles, and claps his hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder, almost sympathetic. "So, uh, what are you supposed to be?" he asks.

"Dunno," Baekhyun shrugs. "I was a dinosaur at first, but then somehow shifted into a dragon, and now I'm a giant octopus with twenty tentacles. So, some odd mix of the three."

"These kids are creative."

Baekhyun huffs. "You're tellin' me. Apparently, they cut off five of my tentacles and decided to perform a sacrificial ritual to please the great Tentacle Entity. It's turned into a horror show."

“The giant octopus has an accomplice!” one of the children - Minseok- yells when he notices the extra company. He points to Jongin, who just glances at Baekhyun helplessly. Baekhyun, however, proves useless as the kids climb over Jongin, wrapping themselves around his ankles and declaring him defeated.

Twenty minutes later, the adults have ushered them out of the house and into the backyard. Jongin isn’t sure if he prefers cleaning the dirty basil to watching over a dozen small children play in the snow. Well, a dozen plus one, because Baekhyun is among them, teaching them how to build a snowman.

“You roll it up slowly, but not too hard, because you don’t want to get the dirty snow that’s on the ground. Just follow my lead.” It’s like a class, because Baekhyun is at the front with his snowball, and everyone has gathered around him with even smaller snowballs, mimicking his rolling motions in the snow. Jongin grins behind his scarf. It’s freezing, but that strange warm feeling kicks in again and spreads throughout his body.

Jongin shuffles over to assist Rahee with her snowman, meeting Baekhyun’s gaze and offering a smile, to which Baekhyun returns gently.

The _“class”_ goes well for another good five minutes, when everyone has decently sized bases and are preparing to make the body. That is, until Baekhyun starts off poorly, his snowball dirty with a twig sticking out of it. The kids laugh at it, as kids do, and Baekhyun pouts. But that pout twists into something mischievous not a second later.

“Or, you know, kids, another way to do this is to just disregard the whole snowman thing and--” he pulls the twig out, “--just start a snowball fight.”

And with that, Jongin gets a chestful of snow.

He gapes, affronted, but before he has time to respond, the kids are already up in arms with their own snowballs, fluttering around the yard and running to safety, snowballs flung from tiny hands and into the air. Jongin meets Baekhyun’s gaze through it all, eyes still widened from the betrayal. Baekhyun is grinning, face pale from the cold, but cheeks pink from smiling too hard.

So then Jongin reaches down, scoops snow into his glove, and throws. This is war.

It lands on Baekhyun’s shoulder, and Baekhyun looks shocked, like he wasn’t expecting Jongin to retaliate, but it isn’t long before they’re both leading their respective sides of the yard. They guide them, making suggestions on who to aim for, and surely, if the adults were here, they would not approve of such violence.

By the end of it all, the children go back to making their snowmen on their own this time, with nothing but vague directions from Baekhyun, who lays in the snow besides Jongin. Jongin’s always liked the feeling of laying in the snow, the way it forms around his shape and encases him.

Baekhyun sits up with his face still in the air and arms holding him up, like he’s basking in what little sun there is behind all the gray clouds. He peeks an eye open to glance at Jongin, a faint smile still on his face.

“You tired?” he asks.

“Nope,” Jongin says, even if he is still a little breathless from the snowball fight.

“You have snow on your face,” Baekhyun laughs. Suddenly, he’s bringing his ungloved hand up to brush at Jongin’s nose, removing whatever snow was left there. Jongin scrunches up his face and sniffles, before muttering a small and weak thanks. His nape tingles, for some reason.

“We should bring the kids inside soon,” Jongin says, sitting up too now. “It’s almost time to eat.”

“Yeah, we should,” Baekhyun says.

"You’re good with kids,” Jongin notes, and he cannot even pretend to hold back the fondness in his smile.

“They like you a lot. Though, granted, everyone likes you.”

Baekhyun heaves a sigh at that, but Jongin is unsure what to make of it.

“Thanks,” Baekhyun says, the corners of his lips turned up gently. “You are too.”

And although Jongin had previously suggested to take the children back inside, he simply allows himself to fall back into the snow, his arms widespread. Baekhyun laughs, following his lead and plopping back right next to him. Baekhyun’s laugh, Jongin thinks, is a very nice sound that he wouldn’t mind hearing everyday for the rest of his life.

 

 

 

 

Back in the house and cozied up in his traditional ugly sweater, Jongin and Baekhyun are back with the older folks, mugs of coffee in their hands and away from the biting cold.

“You have a very strong arm,” Baekhyun says as they leave the kitchen to join the rest in the main room.

“Your snowballs felt like bullets.”

“I mean, you weren’t exactly soft either,” Jongin says, exaggeratedly rubbing at his upper arm to prove a point.

“I won, though.”

“No way. My team won. I had Minseok. He’s ferocious.”

“I had Rahee! She’s quick.”

“We’ll ask the kids later and then you’ll see.”

Before they can take a seat, a voice, loud and bright, suddenly rings in the room.

“Mistletoe!”

And sure as all hell, there is a mistletoe hanging directly above where Baekhyun and Jongin stand.

“Oh my g--who even hangs mistletoes anymore, Jungah.”

“Me,” she says, grinning at him from across the room, where she is - coincidentally - hanging more mistletoes. “Your favorite sister. Now kiss your damn boyfriend like you mean it.”

The room is roaring after that, and Jongin wishes the ground could just swallow him up.

“Kiss!”

“Come on, boys, you gotta do what you gotta do.”

Baekhyun speaks, a hand on Jongin’s arm to reassure him.

“We don’t have to do anything, Jongin--”

“I’m fine with it if you are,” Jongin says, truthfully. And anyway, he thinks they kind of have to now, what with the entire room cheering for them.

“It’s just a measly little kiss, right? We’ll make it middle school style.”

At that, Baekhyun chuckles. “I don’t know about you, but my middle school kisses--”

“And you can stop right there,” Jongin says with a warning glare. “We don’t have to, of course, but--”

“Fine,” Baekhyun says. “Just kiss me, Kim.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, go for it.”

“Uh. Okay.” Jongin isn’t sure if Baekhyun’s casual approach to it makes it easier or harder to lean in, but he figures he’s going to have to do it either way. It’s more pressuring when he’s got his family members encouraging him to kiss this guy he isn’t even dating for real, but somehow, when he manages to drown them out, and focus solely on Baekhyun standing in front of him, it actually becomes a little easier.

Especially because Baekhyun looks exceptionally good tonight. The sweater he wears is snug around him, his bangs are so long that it almost reaches his eyes, and...and the lip balm Jongin gave him earlier seems to have made his mouth look pinker.

“What are you waiting for?” Baekhyun hisses through clenched teeth so that no one else hears.

“Right,” Jongin huffs, licking his lips and telling himself that it’ll be over before he knows it. So he leans in, and presses his lips against Baekhyun’s softly, his nose pressing a little too hard into Baekhyun’s cheek. It’s awkward and messy and a little weird, but that isn’t to say Jongin doesn’t like it. Like hell if he’d ever admit that out loud, though. Baekhyun kisses back, slow and steady and lips moving gently against Jongin’s. It sure isn’t a middle school kiss, but it isn’t quite as raunchy as, say, a high school kiss either. It’s appropriate for an in-front-of-the-entire-family mistletoe kiss.

And like he predicted, the kiss is over before he knows it, and Jongin leans back a little to realize that Baekhyun’s cheeks are noticeably redder than they were before. He doesn’t know why that makes his chest flare.

That’s a lie. Yes, he does. But is it his fault that Baekhyun’s lips just look so damn pink?

(Actually, it is, because it was his lip balm.)

He snaps out of it only then, and realizes the room is cheering and whistling. It’s a little strange, still, but Jongin is still too much into this odd dream-like, dazed state from the kiss that he hardly pays attention to his cousin Taemin yelling, “Get it, Jongin!”

It isn’t long before everyone goes back to their own business and before Jongin and Baekhyun are alone again, left to glance at each other awkwardly. Baekhyun ruffles at his hair. Jongin licks his lips, sure that he can taste the lip balm, but that may be his own imagination going rampant.

“That was interesting,” Baekhyun says. His voice is higher than usual.

Jongin can’t help himself. “Better than your middle school kisses?”

This seems to ease the tension around them, as Baekhyun’s shoulders deflate from its stiff and defensive position and he rolls his eyes.

“I think any kiss would be better than Kim Jongdae trying to stuff his entire tongue into my mouth in eighth grade.”

Jongin makes a face and nudges Baekhyun with his shoulder. “Gross, you were only thirteen.”

“Yeah, it was a mistake.”

And with that, the tension is broke completely, and Jongin laughs. It’s freeing, to not linger on these things, and Baekhyun makes it so easy to move on.

 

 

 

There is always some strange rigidity between Jongin and Baekhyun when the bedroom door shuts for the night and they’re left alone, but tonight, they’re comfortable, lounging across Jongin’s bed in their pajamas with a deck of cards. There’s a new sort of snug, cozy air around them, and it actually doesn’t make Jongin want to bang his head against a wall in embarrassment.

“Go fish,” Baekhyun says.

“Can we play a better game?”

“This is the only game I know.”

“Come on, I’ll teach you a game.”

“Nooo,” Baekhyun frowns, flopping back to lay on the bed and tossing his cards aside. “I’m tired, anyway. Today was a long day.”

Jongin can’t help but agree. From cooking in the kitchen, to playing with the kids, to...that kiss under the mistletoe - which neither have mentioned ever since - it had been a tiring day. Christmas was over now though, and Jongin would be sending Baekhyun back home in two days.

Something clenches around his heart at the thought. It had been a few weeks now since Baekhyun’s been around, and although the time had seemed to go by slowly, Jongin still wonders how it’s managed to go by faster than he would have liked. He had become so used to seeing Baekhyun around here, to seeing him helping out his mother in kitchen, to watching him play with Rahee. Heck, he’d even become used to sharing a bed with him. It would feel strange now, to sleep in his bed without worrying about hogging all the covers from the other person, because there would be no other person.

That’s it, Jongin thinks. That’s why his heart does a little plummet whenever he remembers Baekhyun is going home soon. Because he’s just gotten so used to him around here.

“Do you think your family liked me?” Baekhyun asks, all of a sudden. His tone has dropped, and he’s staring at the ceiling, their game of Go Fish forgotten.

Jongin cannot imagine saying anything other than, “Yeah, of course. They love you, Baekhyun. Like… a lot, actually.”

“I mean, not that it matters or anything, but I just. I don’t know, I guess I just want them to think you've got a good boyfriend.”

“I get it,” Jongin murmurs. “But you don’t have to worry about anything.”

Baekhyun seems to switch from having overwhelming confidence, to a dozen insecurities. It doesn’t make him odd or anything. Merely human. His confidence comes more from his humor and snark, whereas the insecurities are a bit more personal.

The look on Baekhyun’s face is distant, like he’s got a thousand different thoughts running through his mind. Jongin’s come to notice how aliveBaekhyun can be around other people, how enthused and how animated he is. But when he is alone, it’s like he is left with his thoughts, and he allows himself to overthink. Jongin wants to put him at ease.

“Hey,” he starts, “do you remember when I said I thought you were this shallow kid who only came to college to party?”

Baekhyun glances at him sideways. “Yeah?”

“And then you asked if my opinion of you changed. I was stubborn at the time, but it did, you know. Change. Not that my opinion matters, but yeah. I realized I was quick to judge you. I was the shallow kid. I’m not the best with people, you know. Sometimes I find them a little bit scary. I think me judging you quickly was a result of envy on my part. I was jealous that you were great at talking to people, jealous that you had this great, positive energy surrounding you.”

“Jealous,” Baekhyun echoes. There’s a harsh little chuckle afterwards, like Baekhyun can hardly believe it. “What’s there to be jealous of?”

“Come on, Baekhyun. You might not see it but you’re honestly… awesome, okay? You--you’re funny, and nice to people, and you have a good heart.”

“But you forgot obnoxious, and loud,” Baekhyun mutters. “Sometimes I’m like...maybe I should change a little… be a little less obnoxious so people could actually stand being around me. Then other times I’m like, nah, fuck that. I won’t change myself for people. But then, again, I’m like, but I also really want people to like me. But it’s okay. To not have everyone like you. Not everyone is going to like you. Nothing wrong with that at all. I wish I could remember that.”

“I’ll remind you,” Jongin says with a smile. “You’re right. Not everyone’s going to like you. You should spend your time focusing on the ones that do.”

The first hint of a smile on Baekhyun’s face, finally. Jongin revels in this victory.

“I know,” Baekhyun says. “I just want to be someone’s best friend. I want to be as special to someone as they are to me. But,” Baekhyun swallows, “they always have someone else. And that’s fine, it is. I just don’t think...that I’ve found the right person, the one that I really connect with on some...deeper level.”

“Well, I’ll be your best friend.”

Baekhyun immediately backtracks. “Ah, I’m not trying to, like, earn your pity or something. I just - I’m oversharing.”

“No, really. I will. I like you, Baekhyun. And I don’t know about you but I think we connect pretty well. And I don’t think you need to change. The people who are worth it will like you as you. Like Kyungsoo. I know you think he, like secretly hates you or something, but I think you should give him some credit. I just think he doesn’t always know how to express himself right. Really. You’re not as bad as you think, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun sighs, heavy and loud. “I’m sorry, that I’m, like, suddenly dishing all of this out on you. But you’re right, honestly. Thank you.”

“I’m actually glad you feel comfortable enough to talk to me freely like this,” Jongin says. “I’m a pretty awkward person but I don’t feel awkward around you. I’m not great at conversation either but with you it just. Flows. I don’t know. It’s nice.”

“Not great at conversation? Honestly, every conversation I’ve ever had with you has been so gratifying. By the end of it, I feel a thousand times better. I really appreciate the way you think, Jongin. It’s so refreshing.”

“And how do I think, exactly?”

Baekhyun purses his lips, thinking on it. “Well, uh. I don’t know how to describe it, really. But basically. It’s like, you think with an open mind. You consider everyone involved, consider their feelings, consider every possibility before making a snap judgment. You’re careful, and caring, and your words hold so much weight but they’re phrased so elegantly and intelligently, and uh… Yeah. I just think you’re really wise for your age. Talking to you just kind of makes me want to...tell you everything. You're the kind of person someone can confide in.”

Jongin blinks. There’s that tickling feeling in his nape again. “Oh, well… I mean, I hope I can be. Someone you can confide in, I mean.”

“You are,” Baekhyun says. “I’m glad I met you. I know I may not be around the dorm much but I do appreciate you, you know. I like our movie nights.”

Jongin grins. “We should do them more often.”

“I’m all for that.” Baekhyun’s smile is different. It looks the same, wide and bright and sunshine-y, but the feeling is different. There’s a softness to it, a gentle understanding, and when paired with his tired eyes, it makes Jongin want to envelop him into his arms.

“Want to start tonight?” Jongin asks, gesturing to his laptop.

It takes a lot to keep from moving in closer to Baekhyun as they watch on Jongin’s bed, but Jongin manages fairly well, he thinks. He isn’t sure when, exactly, his heart decided to start going haywire when he sees Baekhyun or even when he hears his name being mentioned, but he feels pretty ridiculous about it. The entire semester, they’ve shared a whole room together, and nothing’s ever sparked between them. Maybe it’s just the romance of Christmas, Jongin thinks. Maybe it’s just all this time spent together.

But it could also be because they don’t tend to see each other much at school anyway. It could also be because Jongin’s seen the way he interacts with children, how kind he is, how bright his smile could really be. He thinks back to what Baekhyun said, that day Jongin asked him to pretend to be his boyfriend. “Don’t fall in love with me, Kim Jongin.”

It seemed silly at the time, but all Jongin can do now is laugh in irony.

 

 

 

“It was so lovely having you around, Baekhyun, truly.”

“Ah, but thank you for having me!”

Jongin throws Baekhyun’s luggage in the trunk of his car as his mother and Baekhyun say their farewells. It’s early morning, just about seven a.m., and Jongin is still half-asleep, but even still, he’s awake enough to feel a little down over Baekhyun’s leaving.

“I packed you and Jongin some lunch just in case you get hungry.”

“Baekhyun only lives an hour away, mom,” Jongin says.

“Plenty of time to get hungry,” she argues, turning back to Baekhyun. “Please feel free to come again, we’d love to have you.”

Jongin is still busy assembling the luggage, but he doesn’t miss the wary glance Baekhyun sends his way before he lets out a shaky, unsure chuckle.

“Of course, Mrs. Kim,” is all he can offer. Jongin will have to make up some break-up story later, which will then crush his mother’s heart because in reality, Baekhyun was never going to come back here. Not as his boyfriend, anyway.

“Drive safe, boys,” she says as they clamber into the car. After they affirm her that they’ll be as cautious as possible, Jongin brings them out of his driveway, waving his mother goodbye.

“I feel terrible,” Baekhyun says, dropping his hand. 

“At least you won’t have to be the one to break it to her later.”

“True,” Baekhyun says. “So how are we going to break up? Do I need to do anything?”

“Uh, don’t know yet. It’s got to be believable, of course.”

“Believable, of course. What about I’m moving away to start my own farm?”

Jongin glares at him.

“Okay,” Baekhyun says. “You’re moving away to become a K-pop idol.”

Jongin snorts. “How would that work? I’d actually have to move away.”

Baekhyun merely shrugs. “You could actually do it, you know. Go audition, or something.”

“No way,” Jongin says. “It’s more than just singing and dancing, you know. I don’t have that star power.”

“Well,” Baekhyun says, smiling a bit, “in an alternate universe, if you were an idol, I’d be your biggest fan.”

“Somehow, I actually don’t doubt that.”

 

 

By the time they’ve pulled into Baekhyun’s driveway, Baekhyun’s showed Jongin several of his favorite dog videos, vine compilations, and even a video of a “hot” butcher working, who Baekhyun thinks looks a lot like Jongin, though Jongin cannot see the resemblance.

The plummeting feeling in Jongin’s chest increases by tenfold as he puts the car in park. He isn’t sure why he’s making such a big deal out of this; he’ll see Baekhyun again in a week and half, and they share a whole damn room on campus for god’s sake. It’s not like this is goodbye. But dropping him off like this, ending their little charade…. Not having to pretend to be dating anymore. It’s a little bitter for him.

“Thanks again, Baek,” Jongin says as he walks him up to his front door. “For doing this, you know? I know it was a huge favor to ask so for you to actually come through… it means a lot. You’re a good friend. I owe you one.”

“Honestly, Jongin, don’t worry about it. I had a lot of fun. Even if you constantly try to stifle my creativity.” Jongin rolls his eyes as Baekhyun laughs, clapping him on the back. “So I’ll see you around then?”

“Yeah. I’ll see you back at school.”

“Cool. Nice. Cool,” Baekhyun says. “Uh. Be careful backing out.”

“I will,” Jongin assures, and he turns to leave. There’s a strange aura left in the air between them, something unfinished, and god, Jongin is tempted to turn back and just...tell Baekhyun everything. Maybe say that he doesn’t want to just pretend anymore. But that would be weird, because it was just an act. Right. Just a play, and they were the willing actors to a foolish audience. So he keeps walking and doesn’t look back not matter how badly he wants to.

That is, until Baekhyun calls for him. “Hey, Jongin?”

Everything in Jongin is screaming, every nerve alive and kicking, on fire, blood pumping through his veins rapidly and harshly as he turns around. Let this be it. Let this be it.

And he thinks it might be it, just by the look on Baekhyun’s face. It’s an indiscernible emotion, but it’s some strange mix between confliction, hope, and nervousness. He’s biting his lip, and there’s a tentativeness to the way he’s looking at Jongin. Let this be it.

“I, uh,” Baekhyun says, running a hand through his hair and awkwardly averting his gaze. Jongin waits. Hopes. Lingers his gaze on the way Baekhyun bites into his bottom lip in worry. Baekhyun sighs, dropping his hand and shaking his head. His voice comes out strained. “Never mind. Happy New Year.”

Jongin can feel his heart drop to the pit of his gut. “Yeah,” he says. “Happy New Year.”

 

 

 

 **jongin**  
hey baek! my mom wanted me to ask how you liked the kimbap she packed.

 **baekhyun**  
i'm hurt that this is the only reason you’ll text me :c  
jkjk but really i loved them of course! your mom is superwoman.

 **jongin**  
pls. it’s only been a day since we last saw each other.

 **baekhyun**  
how’s the place without me huh? rahee miss me?

 **jongin**  
she doesn’t even remember who you are  
i’m kidding of course she misses you. too bad she’ll never see you again

 **baekhyun**  
wow 0-100 real fast bro. and that’s not true  >:( i can visit as a friend.

 **jongin**  
as a friend, sure

 **baekhyun**  
really! heck i’ll drive up right now

 **jongin**  
you don’t have a car

 **baekhyun**  
i’ll get kyungsoo to take me

 **jongin**  
i dropped you off YESTERDAY. Chill

 **baekhyun**  
don’t test me then duDe

 **jongin**  
: p

 

 

 

 

 **baekhyun**  
HAPPY NEW YEAR JONGINNIE!!! would just like to let you know that you are a cool friend and i appreciate you a lot. may 2018 be the best damn year of your life my friend

 **jongin**  
HAPPY NEW YEAR BAEK  
and thanks :) you too

 **baekhyun**  
"you too” i feel the love  <3

 **jongin**  
Happy New Year Byun Baekhyun the Light of My Life The God of All Gods I only wish good things for you my friend you are awesome

 **baekhyun**  
huhu so sweet thank you you are awesome too :-)  
what are you up to tonight?

 **jongin**  
u H nothing really. just watching the countdown on tv

 **baekhyun**  
aww. lonely? do you need a new year’s kiss? ^3^

 **jongin**  
no thank u

 **baekhyun**  
: <

 **jongin**  
:)

 

  
There had always been a sort of reserve in going back to school after the holidays for Jongin, but today, he thinks this is the very reason he’s a little more perked up than usual. There’s no beating around the bush. It’s because he gets to see Baekhyun again.

“I packed some food for your trip, and some for Baekhyun as well since he liked my kimbap so much,” his mother says as Jongin steps out the front door.

“Thanks, mom,” Jongin says, his smile tinged with something bitter because she, of course, still thinks they’re dating. It would be nice, wouldn’t it, Jongin thinks, to bring this kimbap to his boyfriend, Baekhyun, to greet him with a kiss and a smile. God, he’s an idiot. What did he expect when he asked Baekhyun to be his fake boyfriend? And Jongin’s stream of bad rom-com romances continues.

“You know,” his mother says suddenly, leaning against the door frame. There’s a slow contemplation to her voice that has Jongin slightly afraid of what she’s going to say next. “I really am so glad you found him. I love that you two are roommates, it’s like… it’s like the universe was throwing you two together, like you were meant to be. It’s the sweetest thing.”

There was a time, earlier today, where Jongin debated leaving early before his mom woke up to avoid talks like this. Now, he’s thinking he should have left then, damn it.

“You two are so cute together,” she says. “I love how he seems to understand you so well. You deserve someone like that, Jonginnie. I’m really happy for you.”

His mother, the forever idealist with high standards for romance, is going to be the cause of his death, right here, on this porch. If not because of the weird, uncomfortable churning of his gut, then it’ll be because she’ll have strangled him from what he’s going to tell her next. He has to. He can’t do it anymore. It will never sit well, lying to her as she remains blissfully oblivious, that dreamy smile on her face.

“Mom, I need to tell you something,” he takes a deep breath. “I haven’t really been...honest with you.”

She frowns at the tone in his voice, worry lines forming. She doesn’t say anything, just stares at Jongin in confusion, so Jongin musters up all the bravery he has, and lets the words flow.

“Baekhyun and I, we...we never dated. We’re not dating. He’s not my boyfriend. He’s never been, I just - he’s my roommate at school that I just asked to pretend to be my boyfriend so that you wouldn’t set me up with the neighbor’s kid.”

Her expression doesn’t change. Jongin watches it very carefully; watches for sadness, watches for betrayal, anything that might reveal how she feels. But she’s as still as a rock, listening to him very intently, and Jongin feels he has no choice but to go on and explain himself. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles. “I don’t know how this got so out of hand. I never expected for you to like Baekhyun as much as you do, and now I… I’m sorry. For lying.”

She’s still quiet, but at least her facial expression relaxes, and she takes her gaze down towards the cement, her brows drawn together. Jongin cannot tell what she is thinking.

“Mom?”

She looks up in alarm.

“I’m sorry, I’m just...trying to wrap my head around this. You aren’t dating?”

“No,” Jongin gulps. “We never dated. I lied. I haven’t had a boyfriend in months. I’m sorry.”

“We’ll get to the lying later,” she says, brows still furrowed in confusion. “But, for now, I’m just so confused - he just seemed so earnest.”

“He is, mom. Don’t blame him. Blame me.”

“No, no, I mean - god, I promised him I wouldn’t tell you but I kind of feel like I have to now. See, Jonginnie, the day when you drove him back, we had a little talk, me and him.”

“Little talk? About what?”

She sighs, the wrinkles in her face more evident than ever. “About you.”

“Me?”

“Yes,” she says. “Now, either he’s fostering a real crush on you, or he’s just a...deceivingly good actor.”

Jongin blinks. Tries to repeat what he thought he heard her say.

“A real crush?”

 

 

_**Day after Christmas, early morning** _

“Jongin is still getting ready, I think,” Baekhyun says, eating up his cereal at the kitchen table. “We’ll be leaving around seven.”

“That boy, always getting up so late. That’s why you’re so good for him, you know. You get up early.”

“Ah,” Baekhyun waves a hand in dismissal. “I have my lazy days too.”

“Oh, but it’s not just that either. You’re so funny and talkative and able to pull out this side in Jongin even I never get to see. I think Jongin is so lucky to have you.”

“That’s very kind of you to say,” Baekhyun says. “But honestly, I think I’m pretty lucky to have him.”

She blinks at him as she dries a dish, brow arched dubiously.

“Why do you look so surprised?” Baekhyun laughs. “Your son is definitely...something special, Mrs. Kim. From the moment I first saw him, I thought I wouldn’t have a chance so I never did anything about it. We, uh, we haven’t been dating long but he just...he’s amazing to be around. Even before, I always looked forward to seeing him, but I never wanted to push it because I didn’t want to scare him off. I can be known for that,” he laughs. “But I’m glad I met Jongin, because he’s incredibly down-to-earth and so…so kind. He has a big heart, and cares so deeply, and I admire that.”

Mrs. Kim smiles in pride, her eyes turning into crescents. “I am so, so happy you two have found each other and can make each other happy. It’s all I’ve ever wanted for him. To be happy. And I see him happy with you.”

The corner of Baekhyun’s mouth twitches, before it pulls up into a smile. “Honestly...he makes me really happy too. He’s one of the most thoughtful, introspective people I’ve ever met. He’s so interesting to talk to, and even if we’re just sitting in silence, it’s never uncomfortable. He makes me feel comfortable. He makes me feel at ease. That’s never easy for someone like me, to be honest. I’m a restless person. I get antsy and anxious. But Jongin, he just...I see him, and it immediately calms me down. When he talks to me, I feel my heart race and slow down...at the same time, if you get what I mean. That makes no sense,” Baekhyun laughs.

“Oh, honey, trust me, it does. I was young once too, remember?” she laughs. “You must like him a lot.”  
Baekhyun pauses, but then chuckles, tapping his fingers on the surface of the table in what appears to be an anxious movement. “I do. I like him a lot.” His teeth wear into his bottom lip, eyes glazed with a thoughtful look. “More than I ever anticipated, actually.”

Mrs. Kim’s smile is soft, eyes understanding. Then Baekhyun appears fidgety again, shuffling his feet and fiddling with his fingers. “You, uh… you won’t tell him any of this, right?”

“But why ever not, sweetheart? I think he’d be overjoyed.”

“No, I know, it’s just - ah, it’s complicated,” Baekhyun says, waving a hand.

“Too early, still?”

“Uh. Yeah. I guess.” Baekhyun rubs at his nape sorely. "Too early.”

 

 

Baekhyun is a damn good actor. Jongin knows that much, he’s seen it with his own two eyes. But is he that good? Would he put in that much effort? He is a pretty dedicated man, Jongin supposes, but still…

Maybe it’s just his wishes and false hope talking. Maybe it’s all in his head, and that yeah, Baekhyun was just acting for the sake of his mother. But god, the way he phrased his words… the way he talked about Jongin as if - as if he really does like him. And he told Jongin’s mom not to tell him? What was up with that? If it was just acting, surely he wouldn’t care…

This is going to destroy Jongin, he knows it now. He still has a three hour drive before he sees Baekhyun again, and these mind numbing thoughts are going to slowly eat at him before he can even get there.

 

 

He sits in the parking lot for a good fifteen minutes, biting his nails and wondering what in the hell he is supposed to make out of all of this, because apparently, that three hour drive wasn’t enough time for contemplation.

Baekhyun is… a dedicated man. He would definitely put in more work if it meant a believable performance. His craft is his life. Jongin’s seen him act before, and not just as his boyfriend. He’s seen him in the school’s auditorium, brandishing swords, faking accents. Wouldn’t he be able to fake a crush too? But in all the times Jongin was around, Baekhyun had never used such words. They are such...heartfelt, genuine words that it’s hard to believe Baekhyun can just make them up on the spot.

Jongin groans, and drops his head onto the steering wheel, resulting in a loud honk. It scares the small group of students passing, and he grimaces at them, mouthing sorry. It takes another five minutes and an embarrassing amount of bravery mustered up to even just leave his car, straightening his back, and huffing out a deep breath. He can do this. He will just ask Baekhyun what he meant. Everything will be fine.

Except by the time he’s climbing up the stairs to his floor, he’s contemplating turning back, driving home, and burying himself in his bed. And he thinks he’s nearly about to do it too, until he sees another figure walking down the stairs, waving at him.

“Hey Jongin,” Kyungsoo says with a genial smile. “How was your holiday?”

“Uh,” Jongin says, pausing on the staircase. “It was nice. You?”

“Same. Hey, what’d you say to Baekhyun?”

“What?”

“To Baekhyun. When he asked you out? Are you guys official now or what?”

“Asked me out?” Jongin mutters, brows furrowing. Something blooms in his chest.

“Yeah. I drove him back over from his place so he told me about how he was going to finally ask you, which is kind of a relief because I love him and all, but having to hear about his woes over his crush on you was a little overbearing. So what did you say to him when he asked?”

Jongin has stopped working, he’s pretty sure. The words take a minute to filter through his brain.

“Uh,” he says again, struggling for words. “He hasn’t. Asked me, that is.”

And with that, Kyungsoo’s face falls in realization, big eyes blown even wider.

“Oh god. Did I just…?”

“Yeah.”

“Baekhyun is going to fucking kill me.” He looks panicked for a bit, face pale and gaping, before his gaze falls back to Jongin. “You’re smiling,” he says.

He is. Because that blooming feeling in his chest blossoms into an even bigger burst of happiness, spreading through his veins. “Yep. Because even though he hasn’t asked anything yet, I already know what I’m going to say.”

The last thing he sees before he darts up the stairs is Kyungsoo’s forming grin. A newfound confidence is bursting through him as he takes the steps two at a time. He’s nearly turned the corner too, until he remembers something and takes a moment to pause, and look back.

“Hey, Kyungsoo?”

“Uh, yeah?” he asks. “You do like Baekhyun, right? Like, you don’t just tolerate him, do you? You like being his friend?”

By the way the question takes Kyungsoo completely off guard, Jongin’s sure he’s got his answer.

“Yeah? I love Baekhyun. He’s one of my best friends. He does annoy me sometimes, but I mean… everyone does. But that doesn’t matter. He’s a good friend and I appreciate him.”

Jongin smiles, because of course. Baekhyun should give himself more credit. “Thank you,” he says. “I’ll see you around, I guess.”

“Good luck,” Kyungsoo calls with a final wave, and then Jongin’s dashing off again.

 

 

 

There was a time, last year sometime after Jongin and Baekhyun had first met, where Baekhyun had tentatively asked Jongin if he would like to attend a concert with him. At the time, Jongin had still been dating Sehun, boyfriend number two in the Bad Rom-Com Chronicles (which ended with the man leaving the country to pursue a dance career, resulting in a very dramatic and cinematic-like farewell scene at the airport, just with bad lighting), so Jongin had said no, since he had been planning to head to dinner with his boyfriend.

The look on Baekhyun’s face when Jongin had denied him was one he will always remember, because it was strange to him at the time. It wasn’t even necessarily sad, or heartbroken. Baekhyun had laughed it off with an awkward smile teeming with discomfort, and made some offhand joke about how he was simply going to snag a quick date in the student center on campus, because his “devilishly handsome good looks” was bound to get him one.

Jongin remembers it clearly, because it was awfully unlike him. Baekhyun usually would have begged Jongin, or bribed him, but as soon as Jongin had brought up dinner with Sehun, Baekhyun was immediately shrugging it off, saying it was alright, that he’ll find someone else to go with.  
What an idiot Jongin’s been. It makes sense to him now.

And now, he’s headed to his dorm, back to that same room to ask Baekhyun… well, he isn’t sure what exactly. Hey, was all that stuff you said to my mom just acting, or was it real? It would be the most awkward, devastating thing to have to hear him say it was just acting, that Baekhyun was simply involving himself completely in the role.

But Kyungsoo said he was going to ask him out. It must mean something then.

Door 405. His dorm. His and Baekhyun’s dorm. Their dorm. The dorm they’ve shared all semester.

He takes a deep breath, and readies himself, placing his hand on the doorknob and nearly turning it, until--

“No, auntie, I can’t do this. I’m not even sure if he’s allergic to flowers or not.”  
Jongin pauses, waits for another voice to come from the room, but nothing comes. Baekhyun must be talking on the phone.

“God, that’s such a 50s thing to do,” he says inside the room, sounding exasperated. “Who even uses flowers to woo somebody anymore? Does he even like flowers? Does he even like these kind of flowers? This is a mistake--”

Jongin smiles to himself, chuckling and feeling his heart swell in his chest. He will like any kind of flowers as long as it’s from Baekhyun.

He decides then, finally, that he can do it. Perhaps he isn't the only one going out of his mind here.

He pushes open the door to the sight of Baekhyun pacing in the center of their room, phone to his ear and a bouquet of lilies in his other hand. Upon his entering, Baekhyun’s eyes snap open wide, and he quickly alters the conversation with his aunt. “Hey, auntie, uh--I gotta go. Can I call you later?” There’s some static on the other line, before Baekhyun is murmuring goodbye and clicking the phone shut.

He looks back up at Jongin, alarm in his expression.

“Was that your aunt?” Jongin asks, feeling awfully smug on the inside.

“Uh. Yeah. She’s just checking to make sure I got back safely.”

“Right. Kyungsoo drove you, right?”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun says, his adam’s apple bobbing as he gulps nervously. Jongin can see the anxiousness in his eyes, the way it flits around the room looking for a distraction. “He lives just twenty minutes from me.”

Jongin hums, unable to hold back his smile. Honestly, he feels like air. “Flowers?” he asks, gesturing vaguely to the lilies.

“They’re for the room,” Baekhyun says, almost immediately, like he had prepared the answer beforehand. “I wanted to brighten it up in here a little.”

“Ah,” Jongin says, too knowingly. He supposes then, that he should cut straight to the point and stop torturing the poor boy. “I’m not allergic, by the way. To flowers.”

“Uh, well, they’re _definitely not for you, I don’t know where you got that idea, but I mean, they’re just--_ "

“Baekhyun,” Jongin interrupts with a beaming grin. “I heard you on the phone. I heard what you said.”

His adam’s apple moves again. Jongin thinks he might see a trace of sweat near Baekhyun’s hairline.

“Oh,” Baekhyun says.

“And Kyungsoo said you were going to ask me out.”

“What? Punk ass.”

“And my mom told me what you said to her.”

Baekhyun hisses. “Damn it. I should never underestimate the loyalty a mother has to her son.”

And at that, Jongin can feel all resolve absolutely crumble, and he laughs, because Baekhyun is too cute to handle. He steps closer, his smile so wide it could almost break.

“I take it you weren’t just acting then?”

“Ah,” Baekhyun murmurs. “That would have been a good cover, actually.”

“Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun huffs in defeat, dropping his arms and finally relaxing his tensed-up shoulders. He seems to have finally given up on pretending. “No, of course I wasn’t acting,” he says. “I like you, you buffoon.”

Jongin can do nothing but laugh, even as Baekhyun pouts before him. Eventually, that pout turns into a small, knowing smile, and Baekhyun’s gaze drifts up to meet Jongin’s, and they share this pure, quiet, moment where no words are spoken, and yet, all is understood. Jongin thinks his heart is actually melting. He should get that checked out. But after this.

Baekhyun looks back down at his bouquet of lilies. “It was, uh, my aunt’s idea. The flowers. She says it’s a surefire way to get someone to go out with you, because her boyfriend won her over with lilies, and ah… I don’t even know if you like lilies. And we’ve never been very conventional anyway, so…”

Jongin huffs out a little chuckle and allows himself to move closer, shaking his head. Gently, he takes the flowers from Baekhyun, fingers brushing softly. He gathers the courage, then, to ask the question that’s been running over and over in his mind the whole time he’s been here.

“Is it too late for that New Year’s kiss?”

It takes a lot to get Byun Baekhyun embarrassed, but judging from the way his cheeks color a beautiful red, he’s beyond blushing. He laughs then, smiling widely. At his somewhat timid nod, Jongin leans forward, his heart thumping wildly against his ribcage.

This kiss is not quite a middle school kiss nor a high school kiss, nor a mistletoe kiss. It’s a very simple, yet very pure kiss. It’s a kiss that says a thousand things, but most important of all, it’s an _I like you kiss_. Jongin’s kissed only two other people in his life, and neither of them were quite as exhilarating as this. It’s not as reserved as their first kiss together either, because all the barriers are gone; they know they have feelings for each other, there is no need to pretend otherwise. So when Jongin pulls away only slightly, smiling at Baekhyun like he is the sun, he pushes back in for another kiss, gentler, but all the more fond.

He can feel Baekhyun’s smile against his mouth, feel the groove of his upper lip move against his own. Baekhyun is a sweet and patient kisser, his hands finally coming up to grip at Jongin’s waist as their chests meet.

“By the way,” Jongin says, breathlessly as he pulls away again, “I can tell you for certain that Kyungsoo absolutely does not have some kind of grudge against you or your friendship with him.”

Baekhyun frowns, but in a way that is not entirely dedicated. It’s a start, Jongin thinks.

“Is it really all in my head then?”

“Just don’t think on it too much,” Jongin says, pressing forward for a slight peck, something to reassure Baekhyun. He lingers there, only for a moment before stepping away and greeting Baekhyun with heated cheeks.

Then Baekhyun’s frown is twitching back up, into a hesitant little smile, that familiar mirth sparkling in his eyes again. “Hey,” he says. “I told you on the very first day to not fall for me. I was joking, of course - we all know by now that arrogant jokes are my defense mechanism against the crippling self-doubt that haunts me daily - but you failed. You fell for me. And I still kind of can’t believe the irony.”

“I know,” Jongin says. “It’s not like I planned on it. You were right.” Jongin sighs in a very dramatic manner. “I am doomed to a fate of endless bad rom-com relationships.”

“I don’t know,” Baekhyun says, shrugging, “I think this is an okay one. Don’t you?”

Jongin smiles, his grip around Baekhyun’s waist tightening. “I do.”

 

 

 

“I’m nervous.”

“Why?” Jongin asks. “You’ve met them already. You have an advantage here.”

Baekhyun fumbles with his fingers, until Jongin reaches over to the passenger seat to take one of his hands into his own, reassuring him.

“I know, but it’s different this time, it’s way different. I’m not acting, I’m legit your boyfriend, and oh, god, I might vomit.”

“At the thought of being my boyfriend?” Jongin asks, laughing when Baekhyun glares at him. “Baekhyun, they like you, they’ve made that clear so many times. Remember what my mom did over FaceTime when I told her we were together for real?”

Baekhyun sighs. “She fist pumped,” he says.

“That’s right.”

He leans his head back against the headrest, a thoughtful, but distant, look in his eyes. “I still can’t believe you invited me for the summer.”

“You’re welcome here anytime, you know. It’s weird sleeping in that bed without you now. Or, any bed, for that matter.”

“Speaking of, do you think the dorm will allow us to get one single king-sized bed next semester? I’m tired of sharing a cramped twin bed.”

“Uh, they definitely won’t let. Anyway, the bed being small gives us more excuses to cuddle closer.”

“As if we need excuses.”

“True.” Baekhyun chuckles and yelps when Jongin clings to him to press a fond kiss on his cheek.

“Are you ready now?” Jongin asks, and Baekhyun takes a deep, steady breath before nodding.

They step out onto the driveway, the summer heat biting at every inch of exposed skin. Baekhyun has that white t-shirt on, and has actually taken to wearing it more often ever since Jongin told him he looks good in it. It always comes with a bit of teasing and purposeful flaunting, but well, Jongin isn’t complaining.

He takes his hand and leads him up to the front door, knocking twice.

When it swings open, he feels Baekhyun tense besides him, but he squeezes his hand in reassurance. He smiles at him, and Baekhyun catches him, smiling back and pressing their shoulders together. The best part is, it’s a genuine smile aimed at him, and Jongin doesn’t have to worry about whether he is acting, because it’s real. He knows it is real, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Guys,” he says, the brightest smile blooming onto his face. “This is Baekhyun. My boyfriend.”


End file.
